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Kings of Leon announced as latest Lytham Festival headliner for 2025

The lineup still isn't complete either. Blimey.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 2nd December 2024

Lytham Festival 2025 just keeps getting better as Kings of Leon are the latest headliners to be announced for the much-loved live music celebration.

The Lancashire music festival has notched some seriously big names in recent years including The Strokes, Sting, Mötley Crüe, Elbow, Blondie, Courteeners and even Diana Ross just to name a very ‘small’ few, but the increasingly popular outdoor event is promising a truly bumper year this time around.

Having got back on the road with their new album Can We Please Have Fun earlier this year, American rock legends and longstanding British favourites Kings of Leon have just been revealed as the next headliner for Lytham 2025.

Confirming the news on Monday, 2 December, the massive outdoor event formerly known as the Lytham Proms has now filled out its top rung, with KoL set to make their debut next summer.

For anyone still unaware, Lytham St Annes’ self-titled music festival is spread across five days and takes place on a long strip of grass set between the town’s coastal road and the River Ribble estuary beside it.

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The very first version of the festival was held back in 1982 and since then the North West long weekender, which kicks off on Wednesday before coming to a close on Sunday night every year, has absolutely ballooned in size and prestige.

Set to welcome over 25,000 fans each day over the five nights this time around, 2025 is promising to be Lytham’s biggest year to date – hence why they’ve nailed down so many big acts.

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Already confirmed for next summer’s lineup are Justin Timberlake, Alanis Morrisette, Simple Minds and Texas. With just one day and artists left to be announced (Thursday), we’re not even done with the excitement just yet.

You can find the rest of the 2025 Lytham Fest lineup so far HERE.

With a whole host of different names playing each day and the calibre of artists seemingly growing each year, it won’t surprise you to learn that these events sell out fast.

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So, that being said: if you’re a Kings of Leon fan and looking to catch them at Lytham Festival 2025, you’ll have to be on that ticket portal sharpish.

General admission for Kings of Leon’s headline festival slot go live at 9am this Friday, 6 December but you can sign up for exclusive presale access online now.

All other individual and full five-day passes for TK Maxx presents Lytham Festival on 2- 6 July are already on sale. You can grab yours HERE.

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Featured Images – Press Image (supplied)

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James Blunt announces huge Manchester gig on new European arena tour

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson James Blunt announces huge Manchester gig on new European arena tour

Singer-songwriter James Blunt is heading back out on tour next year, and has announced a massive Manchester gig as part of his run of arena shows.

The singer, perhaps best-known for his iconic 2005 pop ballad ‘You’re Beautiful’, is hitting the road again in 2027.

The newly-announced European tour is in celebration of his new album Airplane Mode, which is set for release this autumn.

James Blunt will kick off his tour in Leeds next spring, before heading over for a night at the almighty Co-op Live in Manchester.

Then he’ll head to more cities including Newcastle, Birmingham and London.

His new album, Airplane Mode, is being released on 6 November and will, according to his press release, be ‘exhilarating’.

James has already released the first single, ‘Tastes Like Summer’, and ‘Weight Of It All’, with 10 more songs to come on the record.

Airplane Mode was recorded with James’ brilliant long-standing live band, who’ll be back on tour with him next year.

Speaking of the new album, and recording in Pig Music Studios, he said: “Somewhere back there, I lost my way, but found it again in a studio in Banbury.”

James Blunt will be at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on 3 April, 2027. Tickets go on sale from 10am on 9 September.

James Blunt UK and Ireland 2027 tour dates

  • 26 March – Leeds
  • 27 March – Birmingham 
  • 28 March – Newcastle
  • 30 March – Dublin
  • 31 March – Belfast
  • 2 April – Glasgow
  • 3 April – Manchester
  • 4 April – London
  • 6 April – Cardiff
  • 7 April – Bournemouth
  • 8 April – Brighton 

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Featured image: Supplied

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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.

Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.

Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.

On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.

Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.

After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.

The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.

This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.

Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.

After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.

Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.

It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.

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The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE

Featured Image: @samserved (via Instagram)

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